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Friday, September 14, 2012

Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 16, by Yuki Kure

Every few years, the
prestigious Seisou Academy holds a prominent musical competition, and
only the very best students at the Academy are allowed to participate.
Though all are eligible to apply, only students from the music
department actually make it to the competition...until now. On the eve
of her big music competition, Kahoko should be getting some much-needed
sleep…but she can’t stop thinking about Len. When Len reveals just how
soon he’s leaving to study abroad, suddenly Kahoko can’t concentrate on
music. Can she and Len admit how much they mean to each other before
it’s too late? And can Kahoko still turn in a performance worthy of her
training?

Review:

I really quite love
this series. After I read a volume, and maybe because it takes so long for the
next one to come out and even longer for me to get it, I tend to forget just
how much I like it. But then I get the next one, and I read it, and I remember
how much I love the characters and the story. And, you guys, there’s only one
volume left! And it’s possible that, according to Amazon, we’ll be waiting
until May! … I just… I wanted to cry after I found that out. I didn’t, because
I’m not a crier, but trust me, my inner fangirl was sobbing. I’m not surprised,
as I was expecting it to take a while, but that’s just…that’s so
long. That’s almost a whole school year, you guys.

This was kind of a
slow volume, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It continues the music competition
from the last volume, as well as the little drama of Len leaving. Ryotaro
performs first and then, later that night, Kahoko stops by Len’s house. She’s
not really sure why, just feels that she has to give him his gift right now, and he’s understandably
surprised. That’s when he tells her that he’s, you know, leaving tomorrow. She
handles it rather well, even while being upset about the fact that he was just
going to leave, without saying anything. He chases after her, but finds her
talking with Ryotaro and doesn’t interrupt. Ryotaro drops her off at home, and
then picks her up in the morning, the day of her performance.

Everyone wishes her
congratulations, and find out that Len is leaving that day (most of who didn’t
know). Kahoko has a small freak out, and her performance starts out rough but
ends much better. During the performance, she wonders if Len is going to show
up, as he promised and said he doesn’t break promises, and then she wonders
where Ryotaro is (as he’s gone to find Len), and finally sees them up near the
entrance, as they showed up late.

After her
performance, Len leaves her flowers with Ryotaro, as he has to get to the
airport, and she goes chasing after him. She just barely catches up to him, just
long enough for a small farewell and for him to give her his jacket.

And then the last
quarter of the volume is taken up with La
Corda d’Oro 3. I really want to like this story and the characters, and I
kind of do, but I just… I haven’t been with these characters for sixteen
volumes, okay? I’ve seen them for a couple of volumes now, and they are
interesting and different from La Corda d’Oro.
I’m just not as invested in them. After getting caught up with Kahoko and the
others for most of the volume, I’m not ready to give up that much time for a
different storyline and different characters. Especially so close to the end.
There’s one volume left. I want that last volume, really badly; I really want
to see what happens; I don’t want to focus on some other, minor characters.
Maybe if I was reading more about them, but I’m not, it’s just tiny pieces,
extra chapters at the end of the book. Also, most of the chapter focuses on
characters that are not the ones we originally met, which just made me a bit
confused till the end. And I don’t like that it’s setting up for a bigger
storyline, characters that I could care about, when I’m not going to get to see
very much of them. There’s only one more book for them to be in, and I’m pretty sure the video game isn’t released over here, or in
English, so… Well, after looking, I guess Kure started a series over in Japan starring them last year, but who knows if that'll get published over here and how long that'll take.

Mainly, I just want
to focus on Kahoko and the others. Particularly the Kahoko and Len storyline,
as I really enjoy them together, but I like all of the other characters as
well, so I’m looking forward to the end, even if it’ll be upsetting that it’s
all over.

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Updates.

9/29/16 (re-edit)My review days are changing to Monday - Thursday. I'm planning to do reviews on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday will be Teasers, possibly with a little wishlist or catch-up included. I am currently moving, and have just started back in school. Third year of college, and working, and I am starting to have very little time for everything. I'm trying to keep up with this, though, on top of it all.

Thanks!-Jude

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An amateur reviewer, and blogger in general, (hopefully) getting better as I go.
If you have a question, or are interested in sending me a review copy, or for just anything, really, you can e-mail me at: geekyreading@hotmail.com

Ratings and Stuff

I post my reviews on both Goodreads and Amazon (although some do not go on Amazon, if I think it's more of a rant than anything else), sometimes on Powells, and I will post the review somewhere else if asked (although, take into consideration the fact that some websites have a word limit, and some of my reviews exceed that limit).

Ratings:1 Star: It sucked, I had a hard time reading it. Couldn't stand any of the book. (Possibly didn't finish, but I usually don't rate or review those.)2 Stars: Didn't really like it/lower side of just alright.3 Stars: Liked it/was about average.4 Stars: Was really good/loved it/awesome.4.5 Stars: Loved it completely, practically 5 stars to everyone else.5 Stars: I don't tend to give these out, um, ever. It's more common for me to give it to a whole series than one particular book. The best book ever, I hold it above most others, it impressed me and made me unbelievably happy.

Aside from those general ratings, I'll give books in-between numbers. Like, if it was good, but not amazing, I'll give it a 3.5. If it was just alright, but not too bad, a 2.5.

Review Copies: I do accept review copies. I much prefer paper books, but I do read some ebooks on my phone. Also, I do prefer romance, young adult, manga, and erotica. And please, do look at my previously rated and reviewed books to see if yours matches with what I've liked. Thanks! :)Receiving a review copy in no way influences my rating or thoughts on a book.